Fire-door.



T. B. COLLINS. A FIRE DOOR.

"APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1909.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

2, SHEETS-SHEET 1,

wesaea' r T. 3., COLLINS.

' FIRE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1909.

Patented Feb. 21," 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v .Zeverf Olaf CZZZU QJ.

I "i \f a ll mounted ..Fig. 3, aifafqpposite end view of I said casing OI'llOOii-SllOWlllg' also automatllower. the shutter in the event of fire ;'Fig. 4,

THOMAS E. COLLINS, or cnIcAc 'ILLINoIs;

To all'whom it may concern:

Be-it' known that'I, THOMAS E. (burns, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicage, in thecounty o-fCook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Imlowing is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to rollprovementin Fire-Ddors, of which the fol- -ing shutters. employed as fire-shutters; and

drawings, in whichmy primary object is to provide an improved construction Whereby-Lthe'sh'utter will beopverated in an improved manner to effect an automatic closure in the event of fire, Theinvention illustrated in its preferredembodiment in the. accompanying Figure 1 represents a portion of afire-wall I having a door, or window, constructed in accordance with my 1nvention;'-Fig. 2, an end-view 'of-thecasing or hood in which the drum and shutter are normally housed, this view showing also a portion of the meansfor permanently securing a .counterbalancing spring connected with the roller or drum upfon-whichthe roller'j,'or flexible shutter is callycontrolled. mechanism controlling a shutter-closing spring which is adapted to be .operatively connected with the roller to abroke'n' vertical'se ction taken, as indicated, at line 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, a broken sec- -tion on .an enlarged scale showing more in hand portion of Fig. 4. r p In the construction illustrated, A represents a fire-wall having'a door-opening, or.

detail the mechanism appearing inthe right- I w ndow-opening A equipped with the usual Z-bar guides A B, a flexible shutter adapted to work insaid guides; O, a roller or drum with which the upper endofthe shut-- ter is connected in any desired manner (not shown) G C a pair of brackets supported by the wall above the door-opening and upon which is mounted a hood fi in which the drum andshutter are'normally housed;

- 0*, a shaftprojecting through-the. bracket C and adjusta-bly fixed thereto, "said shaft extending into thedrum' O and equipped with a counterbalancin'g spring 0 which serves tonormally hold the shutterin an 1 elevated position; D, a tubular shaft or sleeve carried by the bracket C and extending into the adjacent end of the' drum C; D,- a shutter-closing spring having one end FIRE-DOOR.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1am.

I Applicationfiled March 10, 1909. Seri alNo. 482,588.

secured to the inner end of the sleeve D and the other end secured to a longitudinallyshiftable, rotatable shaft D D means adaptedto clutch the shaft D to the roller or drum C; and D*, a device connected with the outer end of the shaft. D and normally restraining the endof the shaft-D from action, said device D -being dependent for release upon a change in temperature, whereby, in case of fire, the spring D may be thrown into operative engagement with the I a direction to lower the shutter.

The guides A for the shutter may be of any suitable construction. As has been indiroller and thus serve to rotate the. roller in forming such guides. The shutter B com- .cated, Z-bars are commonly employed for prises, as usually constructed, metal sla'ts'l which are connected by hinges 2, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

The drum C "may comprise a cylinder provided with end-blocl'zsB and4 secured to the cylinder and having central the shafts C and D.-- The drum is pro videclwitlrbearingsh and 6 adapted to receive the inner endsof the shafts C and D perforations for- One 'end of the springC isconnected with a the shaft C near its inner end, and the other end of said spring is connected with a boss or hub 7 with which the end-member 3 of the drum is equipped. The outer end of the shaft C isequipped with a wheel 8 pro 'vided'with lugs having radial perforations 9. The wheel 8 is adapted to be turned to placethe requisite tension uponthe spring C after which the wheel may be secured by a pin or bolt .10 which passes through a lug 11' carried by the bracket G and enters one oftheperforations 9' of the wheel. .Thus,

the counterbalancing; spring C is permanently connected with a stationary part and p said. spring C is normally under tension in a direction to counterbalance the shutter.

.As has been indicated, the tubular shaft D is fixedly secured to the bracket C and one end of the spring D is fixedly secured tothe inner end of said tubular shaft. The other end of the spring D is connected with acollar 12 which is rigidly secured to the shaft D ,-said spring D being normally. un-

der tensionv longitudinally, when the mech-' anism D is set, so that when the" shaft D is releasedit will be moved longitudinally to throw the; clutch-members of the clutchdevice' D into operative engagement. The clutchdevice D comprises a clutch-member 13 which may be formed integrally with the member 6, and a clutch-member 14: carried by the inner end oft-he shaft D the inner end of said shaft projecting member 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The automatic controlling-device D comprises a ratchet-wheel 15 fixedly secured to the outer end of the shaft D which projects through the sleeve or'tubular shaft D and extends outside of the bracket G .a

' portedon 'a pivot carried by a bracket 21; and a wire 22 connected with the lever 19 and with a stationary lug 23, said wire 22 being provided in its course with a fusible link 24.- adapted to melt at a predeterminedtemperature, thereby to release the I lever 19 and permit the locking-pawl 1,6 to

maybe applied to enable the shaft D to be drop away from the ratchet-wheel 15. The arm of the locking-pawl 16 is equipped with a weight 25 adapted to insure thequick release ofthe locking-pawl. The outer end of the shaft D is equipped with a fixedly secured hexagon nut 26 (shown integral with the-ratchet-wheel) topwhich a wrench turned to apply tension to thevspring D Thisoperation may be-performed while the finger 18 of the locking-pawl 16 is in position to prevent the shaft D from shifting longitudinally, the pawl being elevated to a ainst rotation after the its final position to lock the ratchet-wheel a p g has been P e y nsioned; Y I

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The flexible shutter is normally wound uponthe barrel C, and maintained in the elevated position by. the counterbalancing spring C The device D is preparatorily set, so as to maintain the spring D under tension in a direction adapted to rotate the barrel C in a direction opposed to the action of the counnlall so that it has a tendency to shift the I 'S a member 14 into engagement with the clutchterbalancing spring C Said spring D is normally distended somewhat longitudi- D outwardly-and throw the clutchmember 13 carried by the drum. In the event of a fire, the link 24:- will be fused at a comparatively low temperature, whereupon the lever 19 will be released and permit the locking-pawl 16 to fall, thereby releasing the ratchet-wheel 15 from engagement with the locking-tooth 17 and also from engagement with the bearing-finger 18.

- The; spring D will thereupon operate to 7 shift the shaft D outwardly, to cause it to become clutched to the drum, andthesp'ring will then operate to forcibly rotate the drum through the much as the spring D is under grea'testtension at the instant it begins to-operate to rotate the drum so as to cause the shutter to descend, the shutter will descendmost rapidly at. the beginning and will have a tendency to slow up as it approaches the lower end of its guide, this action being aided by the increasing tensionupon the spring G so that undue shock will not re sult when the shutter reaches the lower end of its traverse.- i

been given for clearness of understanding only, and no undue limitation should be understood therefrom.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isg 1. In means of the character set" forth, the combination of a drum, a shutter connected therewith, a longitudinally-shiftable shaft extending into said drum and equipped with -a clutch-member, a spring connected with restraining means connected with said shaft and equipped with a fusible member.

2. In means of the character set forth, the combination of a drum, a shutter connected therewith, a stationary sleeve extending into one end of said drum, a shaft extending through said sleeve, a spring connected with clutching said shaft to said drum, and restraining means connected with the. outer end of said shaft andequipped with a fusible member.

combination of a drum, 'a shutter connected therewith, a stationary sleeve extending into -carried by said drum and by said shaft, said shaft being longitudinallyshiftable, a ratchet-wheel connected .with the outer end of said shaft, and a pawl'having a tooth enhaving a bearing engaging the outer surface longitudinal shifting of said shaft.

4, In means of the character set forth, the "combination ofadijum, a shutter connected therewith, a longitudinally-shiftable shaft extending into said dru1n,a spring in said drum connected with said shaft, a stationary part connected with said spring, said spring being normal-lyunder torsional stress and also under longitudinal stress, means for shaft is shifted longitudinally, and autosaid shaft.

-' 5. 'Inmeans of the'chagacter set forth, the

in a direction to lower the shutter. Inassaid drum, a shaft extending through said sleeve, a coiled spring connected with said sleeve and with said shaft, clutch-members of the ratchet-wheel and serving to prevent clutching said shaft to said drum,when said finatic controlling means connected wihthe outer end of said shafthan'd servlng 9 prej vent longitudinal shifting and rotation of The foregoing detailed description has said shaft and with a stationary part, and i said sleeveand with said shaft, means for 3. In m cans of the character set forth, the.

gaging a 'tooth of said ratchet-wheel and j combination with a drum of a fixed shaft exanc spring connected; with said shaft and a a direction adabted to turn said drum in-a terbalance' spring,means for clutching said a is a shaft extending into the other end of said drnm, a spring connected with said secondtending into one end thereof, a counterbalwith said drum, and normally under tension in a direction to hold said shutter elevated,

named shaft' and normally under tension in direction opposed to the action of said Conn-- combination ofa drum, a shutter connected therewith; a fixed sleeve upon which one end ofigsaid' drum is journaled, a shutter-closing spriz/i' /insaid drum having one end connecte 'with said sleeve, a shaft extending through said sleeve and .connected with the other end of said spring, clutch-members carried la .sai'd shaft and said drum, a ratchet-W eel connected with the outer end of said shaft, a locking-pawl connected with said ratchet-wheel, and holding means for said locking-pawl provided with a fusible member.

V In the .bresence of- Rs A". RAYMOND, J, G. ANDERSON- 

